Sophie Patterson and Jasmine Fledderjohann write on behalf of ReproNorth about their experiences of delivering a participatory photography activity considering reproductive justice in the North of England.
Reproductive Justice is “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.” (SisterSong)
Who are we?
ReproNorth is a network of academic partners, people with lived experience of health and social inequity, and community organisations with a shared commitment to reproductive justice. We adopt a ‘place-based’ approach, examining systems of oppression that impact reproductive choices available to people in northern England. This includes large-scale social and political environments, and local power and resource distribution. Importantly, we recognise the strength of local communities in resisting oppression, centring this in our approach to research and action.
In spring 2026, we conducted a pilot project on reproductive justice in the Northwest of England using participatory photography. Given the strong, community-based social justice element of the reproductive justice movement, we felt participatory photography was aligned with our project ethos, as it is an accessible and inclusive research methodology whereby photography is used to explore social issues and elevate diverse perspectives. This was a moving and powerful experience for all involved.
Our research team included three academic partners; representatives from two partner community organisations, serving women in contact with the criminal justice system, and women who are claiming asylum or have refugee status; and five people with lived experience of health and social inequity connected to the partner community organisations.
What is reproductive justice?
Reproductive justice is both a theoretical framework and a social justice movement. The term was introduced in the early 90s by Black feminists in the US to identify and address reproductive oppression.
Reproductive Justice encourages us to consider the broader structural factors (such as our political systems and everyday social environments) that limit reproductive ‘choices’ and influence reproductive trajectories.
Reproductive justice centres on the core rights to:
- Control our bodies and our futures (bodily autonomy)
- Not have a child
- Have a child
- Parent children with dignity in safe and healthy environments
By centring the experiences of overlooked, devalued or marginalised people, reproductive justice reinforces that not everyone has the same ‘choices’ available to them. Reproductive justice advocates for locating power in communities – working for and with communities most affected by reproductive oppression. Local communities are best placed to contextualise local reproductive (in)justice, offer solutions rooted in community strengths and lived realities, and mobilise local action.
We decided to use participatory photography for our project because the values of this methodology closely align with those of reproductive justice (including social justice, power-sharing, collaboration and inclusion).
Training with PhotoVoice
Adopting a trauma-informed approach, all members of the research team participated in four days of in-person training on participatory photography, led by PhotoVoice. It was important to us that our academic and community partners all undertook the training together. This provided a valuable group bonding experience before we got into sometimes heavy subject matter, which helped to foster a safe space for sharing. It also meant that everyone started with the same knowledge about the method, which helped to flatten potential power hierarchies between group members. Relatedly, undertaking this training together also gave the academic team an opportunity to experience how it felt to be a participant in the project, which provided a more personal and deeply-rooted understanding of the emotional vulnerability sharing photos requires. We found even photos with seeminly mundane, not particuarly sensitive subjects could still prompt such feelings of vulnerability when sharing.
Our fantastic PhotoVoice training covered broad principles of both photography as a medium and of the research methodology, with a particular focus on ethical considerations. Over the course of a week, we learned basic photographic techniques, including practical tips such as how to take an in-focus photograph using a point-and-click digital camera and how to use the memory card and manage storage. This stage of the training also covered more artistic elements, such as how to frame the subject in a photograph and how to make use of lighting.
Although we had initially assumed everyone would be using phones to take photos, our PhotoVoice trainer and facilitator, strongly recommended against using camera phones, recommending that all participants should be provided with a point-and-shoot camera. Not only does this mean no one feels disadvantaged by differences in photo quality due to differences in equipment, but it also fosters mindful and deliberate engagement with photography as a storytelling process. This ultimately yields more meaningful and engaging photos. PhotoVoice’s provision of basic training in photographic techniques therefore ensured everyone had the same ability to use the provided equipment.
After having some fun getting to know our cameras, we delved deeply into a range of practical considerations involved in any participatory photography project. Topics included design aspects, such as when and how often to meet, and how many participants to include; tips for setting collective ground rules and creating a comfortable space for sharing, as well as how to manage challenging and emotionally charged situations; best practices for developing photography prompts; key tips for successful facilitation; how to develop photographic prompts; and how to undertake co-creation of outputs.
In addition to these pragmatic elements, our training provided us with a tremendously rich grounding in the ethical considerations involved in participatory photography projects. Ethical considerations ranged from power sharing to copyright and ownership of photos and collectively generated outputs. We also discussed how to approach difficult topics, and how to navigate consent as an ongoing process rather than a box-ticking exercise at the project’s inception. These discussions were valuable for our academic team in ensuring we were following best practices, but also for our participants, who develop a detailed understanding, far beyond the level of most projects, of what it meant to provide informed consent.
In our final training sessions, the facilitator worked together with our group to help us to design a research project exploring why place and community matter for reproductive justice. After our training sessions, we then collaboratively developed prompts to guide the photo-taking process.
We collectively agreed to take photos exploring:
- Being a woman in the north
- Interpretations and experiences of reproductive justice
- Understanding the role of place and community in reproductive (in)justice
- How local communities can advance reproductive justice
- Opportunities for change
What did we find?
While our photographers had different backgrounds and life encounters, their shared experiences, conveyed via powerful images and the captions they wrote to accompany the photos, were notable. Through group discussion, we identified five dominant themes:
Community norms and societal expectations
The group emphasised how society places pressures and expectations on women, encompassing domesticity, caring, or reproductive expectations. Simultaneously, women’s needs were seen as being deprioritised or not considered. The photographers urged communities to question these pressures, and to recognise the value of women in society.
Local health systems and community support
Participants identified potential gaps in health services, including a lack of appropriate, person-centred service provision locally. Community organisations were highlighted as a safe space for local holistic, person-centred support and for responding to complex social needs.
Housing and local environments
Housing was identified as insecure, unsafe and poorly adapted to diverse, evolving needs. Photographs illustrated that the needs of families who are claiming asylum or have refugee status were deprioritised. Green spaces, free from pollution, traffic and other risks, were identified as crucial for reproductive justice, but not sufficiently accessible within urban environments.
Community safety
Fear and experiences of interpersonal violence featured in many photographs, with photographers commenting on the impact on opportunities, choices and engagement with local environments. Photographers also reflected on financial safety, and how lack of money limits choices.
Women’s Voices
Through the photographs, the photographers reclaim their agency and autonomy in a patriarchal society and tell their own story of reproductive injustice in their local communities. Photographs highlighted the importance of being heard, believed, respected, and trusted across social locations and reproductive trajectories.
Fostering local conversations and action
As a group, we decided to exhibit these photographs to start conversations about reproductive justice in the communities at the heart of this work. In Summer 2025, we held a public launch at Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery, where the exhibition was then on display for one month. The exhibition toured around partner community organisations in the autumn, and is currently on display until the end of July at Lancaster’s Gregson community centre. A virtual exhibition is also available through our website.
The impact of this work on our group was overwhelmingly positive. After training in participatory photography, both community organisation partners have expressed intentions to use this approach, with one subsequently leading their own project exploring stalking and harassment. Our launch reached members of the public, and representatives from Parliament, local community organisations, universities, local authority, the sub-regional integrated care board and regional NHSE, with findings informing regional approaches to preconception care and local women’s health strategies. We also developed two academic publications on our methodological reflections (available here and here), and are currently working on two more publications with our substantive findings. You can find updates as they become available through our ReproNorth website.
We challenged our audience to consider our key messages, and extend the challenge to you:
Reproductive justice is not just for women – we have a collective responsibility to create social, political and physical environments to advance reproductive justice. Part of this involves breaking restrictive social norms. People (including cisgender, trans and gender diverse) must have full control over their bodies, futures and reproductive choices.
Cities must be gender response – urban design and development should address how gender matters for whether a space is safe, welcoming and useful. Placemaking should prioritise inclusivity, accessibility and community safety to support diverse lived realities and respond to barriers to reproductive justice that violence presents.
Housing inequity is a threat to reproductive justice – there is a need for safe and secure housing that can adapt to the needs of diverse, evolving families. This is particularly urgent for groups with limited control over housing circumstances.
Reproductive justice is intrinsically linked to social and structural context – an inclusive, equity-informed and localised response to social and structural barriers to reproductive justice is essential. Holistic community support services can create ‘safe spaces’ and respond to complex social needs locally, with linkage to relevant specialty services where appropriate.
Listen to local people – take active steps to centre perspectives of overlooked, devalued and marginalised people, who face the greatest barriers to reproductive justice, involving them on their own terms.
There can’t be change without action – big change often starts with small action. We can all do our part. This might include starting conversations about reproductive justice in your community or providing support to someone you see struggling. It could also include volunteering to support a local community organisation or writing to your MP.
